City of Gold Premiering in Minneapolis this Friday, the documentary City of Gold explores Los Angeles through acclaimed restaurant critic Jonathon Gold’s eyes. Gold changed the world of food writing. Over the past couple decades, he’s made it a point to seek out extraordinary food in ordinary places. By uncovering and writing about restaurants that… Read More →
Black Beans Are Magical By Andrew Zimmern Beans are the healthiest and most nutritional protein option on earth. The communities around the world that eat a lot of beans, legumes and farinaceous foods live longer and happier than they do in other communities. Just check out my friend Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones books. Anyway, when… Read More →
Devour Johannesburg A lively and diverse city, Johannesburg—known by locals as Jozi, Jo’Burg or Joeys—is the largest city in South Africa. With a history chock full of crime and decay, the city’s future is heading in a different direction. An influx of creative energy has tourists eager to visit and the city is coming back… Read More →
The Best Cookbooks of the Year It seems each year there are more incredible cookbooks published than the last; it’s a tough job to whittle down the lengthy list into a handful of my favorites. This year in particular, there are several noteworthy debuts, like Aaron Franklin’s meat smoking manifesto, Michael Solomonov’s ode to Israeli cuisine,… Read More →
Eating Words: A Norton Anthology of Food Writing Edited by literary critic Sandra Gilbert and professor and award-winning restaurant critic Roger Porter, Eating Words is a vast volume of exquisite food writing, from Biblical times through modern day. It’s a historically and conceptually diverse anthology, that goes beyond mere consumption and explores food’s relation to politics,… Read More →
Devour Buenos Aires A Latin American city heavy with European influences, Buenos Aires is the best of both worlds. Equally confident and classy, there’s no question why it’s the most visited South American city. A unique cultural life thrives here, from the old-timey cafes, European architecture and bustling streets to the devoted soccer fans and… Read More →
The Country’s First Edible Insect Farm Kevin Bachhuber founded Big Cricket Farms in Youngstown, Ohio in 2014 in response to growing water shortages, the rising costs of protein production and a simple love of eating insects inspired by a trip to Thailand. Big Cricket Farms is the first government certified food grade insect farm in this… Read More →
Ed Lee’s Top Picks for Louisville You may recognize chef Edward Lee from his television appearances—Top Chef, Mind of a Chef (for which he earned an Emmy nomination), Iron Chef America, to name a few—but he’s more than a TV star. His brilliant cooking at 610 Magnolia has landed him four nominations for Best Chef: Southeast… Read More →
Devour Munich The capital of Bavaria, Munich is full of impressive architecture, world-class art, and prosperous industries. Home of Germany’s renowned Oktoberfest celebration, there’s a lot more to Munich than huge beer gardens and lederhosen. Bike through the old town, visit Frauenkirche, and indulge in various Bavarian meals that you simply can’t find outside of this region. From… Read More →
Ferran Adria, Jose Andres & Andrew Zimmern on the Creative Process On October 9, the Minneapolis Institute of Art welcomed Ferran Adrià, the world-renowned chef behind Spain’s avant-garde elBulli, his protégé and award-winning chef José Andrés, and yours truly for a discussion on creativity and innovation in the kitchen. The panel was part of a weekend of activity celebrating… Read More →
I’m writing to invite my fellow Minnesotans to a once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone who loves food. As previously reported, on Friday, October 9 the Minneapolis Institute of Art is welcoming Ferran Adrià, an innovator widely considered to be one of the world’s top chefs, his protégé and award-winning chef José Andrès, and yours truly for… Read More →
Guatemala is an amazing country that’s overlooked by most travelers. It’s not filled with sexy beach resorts or swanky nightlife, but the rainforests, coastline, jungles and river systems are second to none in terms of natural beauty. One of the most fascinating things about this country is the 21 ethnic Maya peoples that are still in numbers… Read More →
Devour Zürich At the intersection of Lake Zürich and the Limmat River with a breathtaking Alpine backdrop, the Swiss capital is a leading world financial center that has tons to offer. The buzzing city boasts four official languages, a high quality of life and is consistently recognized among the world’s top cities to live in. When… Read More →
Jonathan Brooks’ Top Picks for Indianapolis Indianapolis native Jonathan Brooks opened his first restaurant, Milktooth, with his wife in October of 2014. It didn’t take long for his edgy brunch menu to gain a following and a national reputation. In 2015, Brooks was named a Food & Wine Best New Chef (the first award given to… Read More →
Comedy for a Cause The co-creator of The Daily Show and Air America Radio, Lizz Winstead is a brilliant comedian. These days, she’s using her platform to advocate for women’s reproductive rights through a national comedy tour supporting Planned Parenthood and her organization Lady Parts Justice, which uses humor, parodies and events like V to Shining V… Read More →
Last week I spoke at the 75th annual American Public Gardens Association Conference, hosted by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. Before the event, I sat down with Lisa Marchand of Minnesota Monthly to chat about our broken food system and the state’s farming potential. Read the article here. When… Read More →
Sour Cream Peach Pie By Andrew Zimmern Food with a story is always best. My pal Annette passed me this recipe that was passed to her by her mother-in-law, Inez Orvedal Kisser, of Fargo, North Dakota. Inez was born in 1905 and died at age 93. She was the youngest of 11 children and spent… Read More →
Edward Kim on Where to Eat & Drink in Chicago After graduating from culinary school, chef Edward Kim worked in kitchens in Los Angeles, Seoul and New York City—most notably under Thomas Keller at Per Se—before returning to his native Chicago to open Ruxbin in Wicker Park. After the wild success of his globally-influenced 32-seat neighborhood BYOB,… Read More →
Justin Yu on Where to Eat & Drink in Houston With an astounding blend of cultures and cuisine, Houston has long been one of America’s great food cities. But it’s only been until recently—with chefs like Chris Shepherd, Hugo Ortega and Justin Yu leading the pack—that anyone’s paid attention to the robust dining scene. Well… Read More →
I need your help. I want to bring your attention to a new café that just opened in North Minneapolis. I’ve been working with Appetite for Change to get a youth training program started at Breaking Bread Café, and I thought you’d be interested. Take a look at the information below (including this video), and let… Read More →
Five Great Meals in Milan By Devan Grimsrud Host of the 2015 World’s Fair, Milan is expected to draw a staggering 20 million visitors this summer. The 1 million square meter exhibition area features architecturally stunning pavilions built by participating countries, all exploring the overarching theme of Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life. Learn about the… Read More →
How to Win Your Next Dinner Party Maybe you’re the shy type who freaks at the idea of striking up conversation at an intimate dinner with strangers; maybe you’ve been hiking the Appalachian trail for the past few months and need a refresher course on culture and current events; or maybe you’re just a food-obsessed… Read More →
Congratulations JBF Award Winners! As always, I had a fantastic time at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious awards ceremony honoring professionals in the food and beverage biz. I’m so proud to be a part of this amazing organization that works hard on education, agriculture issues, food insecurity and hunger relief. You… Read More →
A Technical Wizard Corey Lee is one of the most talented chefs in America. He’s a master technician and a creative wunderkind, cooking on a different level than almost anyone else in the country. Dinner at his three Michelin star San Francisco restaurant Benu is an unrivaled experience—a tasting menu comprised of a cuisine unique… Read More →
America’s Leading Pitmaster Aaron Franklin cooked his first brisket in 2002. After seven years of practice, he opened a food truck with his wife Stacy, though a few glowing reviews resulted in long lines and a move to a brick-and-mortar location on Austin’s east side just a year later. Today, Franklin and his crew serve… Read More →
Taipei’s Best Xiao Long Bao The Shanghai-style soup dumplings, or xiao long bao, at Din Tai Fung have a cult following like no other. A refugee of China’s civil war, Yang Bing-yi opened the original location on Taipei’s east side in the 70s. A couple decades later, the New York Times named the dumpling house as… Read More →
Minnesota Restaurants Supporting Local Farms I love all four seasons, but there are few greater things in life than the first days of a Minnesota spring. We love celebrating another winter survived, and if you’re anything like me, food plays a huge role. I can’t wait until restaurants unveil their spring menus, teeming with fresh… Read More →
Minneapolis’ Young Chef in the Spotlight Mike DeCamp, the incredibly talented and creative chef de cuisine at Minneapolis’ award winning La Belle Vie, just announced he’s leaving his longtime mentor Tim McKee to open a new restaurant with Jester Concepts (the team behind Borough and Coup d’etat). They’ll be taking over Hotel Ivy’s first floor restaurant, formerly Porter &… Read More →
Where to Eat in Paris’ Montmartre Neighborhood By Devan Grimsrud Montmartre, in the north of Paris, has a long history of attracting artists and musicians. Famous painters like Van Gogh, Picasso, and Toulouse-Lautrec flocked to this neighborhood, still a refuge for Parisian bohemians. The area is flooded with a variety of accessible galleries and ateliers… Read More →
An Impressive Debut After working in some of Chicago’s most prestigious kitchens—Charlie Trotter’s, Alinea and Schwa—chef Jake Bickelhaupt started an underground supper club, or “guestaurant,” called Sous Rising. With his wife Alexa Welsh, Bickelhaupt hosted Michelin-quality meals with a casual, dinner party feel in their Chicago apartment for nearly two years. In early 2014, Bickelhaupt and Welsh opened… Read More →
